Cuff link



G. RESPINI May 28, 1957 CUFF LINK Filed April 1, 1955 United States Patent Office 2,793,415 Patented May 28, 1957 CUFF LINK.

Gene-Respini, Shaker Heights, Ohio Application Aprill, 1955, Serial No. 498,506

6 Claims. (Cl. 24-100) This invention relates to cuff links and more particularly to cuff links adapted for use with shirt cuffs which do not have through holes.

An object of this invention is to provide a cuff link which can be used to quickly and easily convert the appearance of a shirt cuff of the barrel type normally using cuff buttons to the more dressy French-type requiring cuff links.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel cuff link which is: capable of being used with a. shirt equipped with cuffs using buttons and button holes to-give the appearance of a French cuff.

Another object is to provide a cuff link. which may be quickly and easily fastened to a shirt cuff andremoved therefrom.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cuff link characterized by its structural simplicity, the ease of assembly of its parts, its strong and sturdy nature and itslow manufacturing cost. Other features of this invention reside in the arrangementand designof the parts for carrying out their appropriate function.

Other objects and advantages of this invention willfbe apparent from the accompanying drawings andthe-following description, and theessential features will-be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing my novel cuff link as applied to the cuff of a shirt.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of my novel cuff link fastened to the two layers of a cuff which are shown in cross section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the plane of line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the cuff link fastened to the two layers of a cuff, in a locked position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to that of Fig. 3 but showing the cuff link in an open or unlocked position and completely removed from the shirt cuff.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of my novel cuff link.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevational view of a modified form of my novel cuff link.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental side elevational view of the modified form of my novel cuff link shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now to Fig. 1, wherein I have shown my novel cuff link 10 fastened to a cuff 11 of a right shirt sleeve 12. The cuff 11 is of the barrel type having two layers 13 and 14 and using button holes and buttons (not herein shown) as distinguished from the French type cuff wherein the cuff is folded backwardly upon itself and provides four layers of material with through openings at the point of fastening.

The cuff link 10 consists of a U-shaped cuff-engaging member 15 composed of a pair of spaced legs 16 and 17 and is adapted to receive the bottom side or lower layer 14 of cuff 11, as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. A hollow tubular sleeve 18 is integrally secured to the free end of the leg 16 of the U-shaped member 15. The tubular sleeve 18 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the legs of the U-shaped member 15 in a manner so as to intersect the other leg 17, if it were to. .be extended. Telescopically mounted within the hol-- low. tubular member 18 is an elongated shank member 20. An ornamental button or face member 21 is rigidly secured to one end of the shank 20, while a. spur or pin 22 issecured to. and projects axially from the other end of the. shank. The shank is provided with a through bore 20a adapted to receive a coil spring 23 and ball- 24. The outer end of the spring 23 is retained by the inner surface of one wall of sleeve 18, while the ball 24 is retained by the opposite. wall of the sleeve. The spring 23 is retainedunder compression so as to resiliently urge the ball into oneof two notches or spaced socket detents 26 and 2.! provided in the wall of sleeve 18, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3 I have shown ball 24 engaging detent 27 in a closed or locked link position, wherein the spur 22 pierces the thickness of the-lower cuff layer 14 and enters. into a. receiving notch 28 provided on the inner surface of. leg 17. Theend of the shank member 20 providesshoulders 25 which surround the base of spur 22 and compress the cuff 14 against the U-shaped member while the spur pierces the cuff and enters the notch 28. In Fig. 4 I have shown the cuff link in an. open. or unlocked position. This open position is maintained by ball 24 engagingthe second detent 26. Both the shank 20 andthe hollow sleeve member 18 are preferably non-circular, here square in cross section, to prevent relative rotation between them. This construction also assures that ball 24 will'engage. one of the. detents 26' or 27 upon telescopicmovement between the parts, since they remain in axialalignment, with one another. It will be understood that wherever I have used the term spur,'l intend itto include pins, tongs, knurling or anything else that will bite into the cuff. The term notch includes any recess or hole even if filled with cork or. rubber to increase the gripping power of the device.

Means is provided for preventing the shank 20 from becoming disengaged. from the hollow tubular sleeve 18'. A' flange 30'on the hollow tubular sleeve member 18' engages a shoulder 31 on the shank member 20 to prevent separation of the parts any further than is shown in Fig. 4. The flange 30 is provided by bending inwardly the outer end of one of the walls of the hollow sleeve mem ber 18.

The ornamental face or button member 21 is preferably but not necessarily disposed at an angle with respect to the shank member 20, as seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. This angle is complementary to the angle formed by normal folding of the cuff 11. Thus, in a position of final assembly, the cuff link smoothly fits the contours of the two layers of the cufi 13 and 14.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a modified form of my present novel cuff link. The link includes an ornamental head or button 40, shank 41, hollow tubular telescopic sleeve member 42 and a U-shaped cuff receiving member 43. The outer ends of three walls adjacent the decorative head 40 are bent outwardly, as shown at 45, 46 and 47 to engage the upper cuff layer 13, and thereby prevent it from becoming wedged between the end of the hollow tubular sleeve member 42 and the decorative button 40, and thereby interfere with moving the cuff link to a locked position. All parts, wtih the exception of the hollow tubular sleeve member 42 are identical to those shown in Figs. 1 through 5. The hollow tubular sleeve member 42 has been modified from that shown in Figs. 1 through 5 only in that the outwardly projecting end flanges 45, 46 and 47 have been added.

In operation, all of the body of the cuff link 10 with the exception of the decorative button 21 is inserted from the outside through the button hole 11a contained in cuff 11. The link is placed in an open position such as shown in Fig. 4. The edge portion of the lower layer 14 of the cuff is then inserted into the space between legs 16 and 17 of the U-shaped cuff receiving member 15 to a position such as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The cuff link is then closed by telescoping the shank 20 within the hollow tubular sleeve member 18 to a position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, wherein the spur 22 pierces the thickness of the cuff and enters into receiving notch 28. The lower layer of cuff 14 is thereby prevented from being withdrawn from the U-shaped cuff receiving member. The ornamental button 21 due to its angular disposition with respect to shank 20 is automatically oriented to complement the contour formed by the folded cuff 11, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. In assembled position, the U- shaped cuff receiving member 15 will be substantially hidden from View by the upper layer of cuti 13. However, since there is a slight possibility that the bowed portion of the U-shaped member may show, its surface may be plated or provided with other decorative means for esthetic purposes. Although the invention is designed primarily for use on barrel cuffs it may also be used on French type cuffs.

It is obvious to reverse the parts so as to attach head 21 .to sleeve 18 and shank 20 to leg 16 of member 15. In this case the spur 22 extends from the lower end of sleeve 18 either through a hole in leg 16, or clearing the outer end of leg 16 to engage leg 17 extended.

In view of the foregoing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cuif link comprising a pair of non-circular telescopic members, one of which is adapted to be secured to an ornamental head, a pointed spur on said one member extending axially away from the end thereof opposite said head, a U-shape cuff engaging member having two parallel legs generally at right angles to said telescopic members, the other of said telescopic members being rigidly secured to an upper leg of said U-shape member near the free end thereof, the length of said telescopic members being greater than the thickness of said attached leg of said U-shape member and sufficient to pass both of said telescopic members through a cuff buttonhole, and a portion of a lower leg of said U-shape member lying axially opposite said spur to provide an abutment there, the relative movement of said telescopic members being sufiicient to move said spur between an open position where said spur substantially clears the space between said U-shape member legs and a closed position where said spur substantially engages said abtument.

2. A cuff link as in claim 1, wherein there is a recess provided in said abutment positioned to receive the end of said spur in said closed position.

3. A cuff link as in claim 1, including two coasting detent means on said telescopic members, one detent means positioned to hold said one telescopic member in said open position, and the other detent means positioned to hold said one telescopic member in said closed position.

4. A cuff link as in claim 1, including coacting detent means on said telescopic members positioned to hold said one telescopic member in said closed position.

5. A cuff link as in claim 1 wherein the space between the legs of said U-shape member is sufiicient to receive a single thickness of cult therebetween and insuflicient to receive two thicknesses of cult therebetween.

6. A culf link as in claim 1 including coacting means on said telescopic members preventing complete separation thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

